Body-supporting appliance.



W. STAAB & H. PUGKERER.

BODY SUPPORTING APPLIANCE.

APPLIOATIOII FILED MAR. 10, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914.

WILHELM STAAB AND HERMAN EiIlCKERER, OF MUNICH, GERMANY.

BODY-SUPPORTING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1914.

Application filed March 10, 1913. Serial No. 753,442.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that weflvrnrrnmi STAAB and ITERHAN Fiicnnnnn, citizens of Germany, re-

adapted to be attached to the back of a chair or other seat for the purpose of limiting the extent to which the user can lean forward, the appliance thus serving to insure an upright position of the users body, and also to prevent too close approach of the users eyes to a book or writing sheet lying on a desk or table in front of the seat.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the appliance is shown as used by a pupil sitting on a school bench.

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation, showing the appliance in use, part of the seatback being broken away. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the appliance to a larger scale, portions of the body-belt and shoulderstraps being broken away. Figs. 8, 4 and'5 show details of the appliance. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show a modification, Fig. 8 being a section on the line AB of Fig. 7.

Referring in the first instance to the con struction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the appliance comprises a T-shaped back-piece a, b of wood or equivalent material, with shoulder-straps 0 attached to the ends of its hori zontal member, and a belt attached to the lower end of its vertical member, for the purpose of fastening it to. the body of the user as shown in Fig. 1. The attachment, in the case of each shoulder strap and of the belt, is made by means of two slotted tongues f, which overlap each other on the part a or Z) and are collectively pivoted to that part by means of a stud e. To thevertical part b of the back-piece are attached the ends of a strap or equivalent flexible member 9,

which passes through a slotted plate it,

which is perforated for engagement with a pin is fixed to the back 2' of the seat. The pin 7c is tapered toward its lower end, and is rounded at the top, so that the plate 71 can easily slide ofi it when the user of the appliance stands up.

The upper end of the strap 9 is engaged with an eye a formed on a slide which is to provide adjustable on the part b and can be fixed by means of a set-screw 0. By adjusting this slide the effective length of'the loop made by the strap 5/ can be regulated, so as to limit the extent to which the user can lean toward the desk. idjustable attachment of one end of the strap 9 aifords a wide range of adjustability, but in the construction shown the lower end of the strap is also engaged with an eye r on an adjustable slide 7), which can be fixed by means of a set screw 9, and this greatly increases the capacity for adjustment. Instead of a strap 9 I may use a chain or the like the ends of which are hooked to the slides. The part it may be fixed to the strap or chain, instead of being sliclable thereon.

The construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8 is in most respects identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the parts (L .79 0 d 6 f i corresponding to the parts a, Z), c, d, e, f, c', 7? respectively. The part 6 however, has a slot 8, and a plate 25 slidable on one side of the part b is bent to form a channel which enters this slot. A screw w passes through this channel to the other side of the part 6 where it carries a washer '22 and i a nut u by means of which the slide can be to the slide 2? and carries an eye 72, by means of which it can be connected to the pin 70 V] hat we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A device of the character specified, embodying therein a body brace including a rigid vertical back piece, means adjustable longitudinally of said back piece for supporting a pliant retaining strap, a pliant retaining strap loosely held by said means, a pin tapered toward its lower end and having a rounded top, and means carried by said retaining strap and adapted to easily engage and become disengaged from said pin.

2. A device of the character specified, em-

bodying therein a rigid vertical back piece,

supporting members, means for fixing said supporting members to said back piece in adjusted position whereby the length of strap projecting away from said back piece may be regulated, and means on said strap for removably engaging a seat back.

3. A device of the character specified, embodying therein a rigid vertical back piece, a rigid horizontal shoulder piece secured to one end of said back piece, a pliant shoulder strap pivotally secured to each end of said shoulder piece, a pliant body belt pivotally secured to said back piece at the end opposite that to which said shoulder piece is secured, strap supporting members slidable toward and from each other on said rigid back piece, an endless strap engaging said supporting members, means for fixing said supporting members to said back piece in adjust-ed position whereby the length of strap projecting away from said back piece may be regulated, and means on said strap for reniovably engaging a seat back, said last named means including a pin tapered toward its lower end and rounded at the top inserted in the seat back, and a slotted plate carried by said strap and adapted to easily engage and become disengaged from said 1n. p In testimony whereof we afiiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WllLHl'SLlt l STAAB. HERMAN FCOKERER. "Witnesses:

A. V. W. Co'rTER,

JOHANNA STERN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C. 

